1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus including therein a recording/reproducing unit that reproduces information pertaining to an image, a music or an audio which is stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD which is equipped in the recording/reproducing unit, or a recording/producing unit that writes the information in the recording medium.
2. Related Background Art
A thin-type flat image display apparatus such as a display apparatus using an electron-emitting device, a display apparatus using plasma discharge, a display apparatus using liquid crystal or a display apparatus using a vacuum fluorescent display are used in a television, a terminal of a computer, an advertising medium or an indicator. In addition, attention has been recently paid to a wall-hung TV of 40 inches or more in screen size, which utilizes the characteristic of a thin type image display apparatus. The basic structure of the image display apparatus includes an image display unit, an electric circuit unit, a structure section that supports the image display unit and the electric circuit unit, a speaker unit and so on.
In recent years, an input source for playing audio and video with such an image display apparatus is now changing from an analog signal to a digital signal, with which various input/output devices for image signals have been spread. In particular, a device that can record and reproduce a video signal is now changing from a device such as a conventional video tape recorder which uses a tape as a recording medium to a device such as a digital video disc (DVD) which uses a disc as a recording medium.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the appearance of a conventional image display apparatus 100 that includes a recording/reproducing unit therein.
In the figure, reference numeral 100 denotes a main body of the image display apparatus which houses a CRT module for image display, a recording/reproducing unit, an electric circuit and so on therein. Reference numeral 101 denotes a display screen of the CRT, and 102 is a storage medium projecting from the main body 100. The storage medium 102 utilizes, for example, an optical disc medium, and the operation of taking in/out the optical disc with respect to the main body is conducted by projecting the storage medium 102 from the main body 100. Also, when the image or the like stored in the recording medium is reproduced, the storage medium 102 is received in the main body 100 and then operates. Conventionally, the storage medium 102 is disposed at a facade of the main body which is the same side as that of the display screen 101 taking the operability by the user into consideration. Also, in recent years, attention has been paid to a display apparatus using plasma discharge as a thin type wall-hung TV.
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the appearance of an example in which a recording/reproducing device 114 is connected externally to a thin type wall-hung TV.
In the figure, reference numeral 110 denotes a thin type wall-hung TV, and 111 is an image display unit using, for example, plasma discharge. Reference numeral 112 denotes a left speaker, and 113 is a right speaker. Reference numeral 114 is a recording/reproducing device, and 115 is a storage medium using an optical disc medium. Reference numeral 116 denotes a power cable of the recording/reproducing device 114, and 117 is a signal cable that connects the wall-hung TV 110 and the recording/reproducing device 114.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-190978 discloses a liquid crystal display monitor in which a magnetic disc drive device and an optical disc drive device are disposed on a back side of the liquid crystal display monitor, and a disc ejection outlet is disposed at a side surface of a casing.
Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-179660 discloses a computer in which a CD-ROM device is installed in a unit having a screen display unit.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-222246 discloses a structure in which a disc device is disposed at a side of a casing having a display apparatus in which the display apparatus is not disposed in an information processing device.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-248850 discloses an electronic calculator having an input/output device that detachably holds a storage medium at a cap portion having a flat display.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-144065 discloses a laptop computer including an LCD, an HDD and an FDD at a cap portion.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-125050 discloses a portable personal computer structured in such a manner that a recording medium drive device is disposed under a keyboard, and a direction that faces a recording medium insert/extract slot and so on is changed at the time of extracting the drive device and further its position can be held in a horizontal state or a vertical state.
As shown in FIG. 14, in the image display apparatus in which a storage medium 102 is inserted into a main body 1 to conduct recording/reproducing operation, there is no need to provide a cable wiring for connecting an image display apparatus 100 and a recording/reproducing device that reads or stores data from the storage medium 102, thus to supply power to the recording/reproducing device. Therefore the appearance is simple, which allows excellent operability by the user. However, the structure of this type must be improved as follows:
(1) The depth dimension of the image display apparatus 100 (D1 in the figure) becomes larger with an increased screen size, and therefore it is difficult to locate the image display apparatus in a small room. For example, if the size of the screen 101 is 36 inches, its depth becomes about 60 (cm). This is caused by the structure of a CRT used in the image display unit 101.
On the other hand, in the case of connecting a conventional thin-type wall-hung TV and an external recording/reproducing device as shown in FIG. 15, though the wall-hung TV is space-efficient (in the figure, the dimension of D3 is about 80 [mm] to 100 [mm]), a space in which the recording/reproducing device 114 is located is additionally required. Also, there arises such a problem that the cable 117 that connects the wall-hung TV 110 and the recording/reproducing device 114 is exposed from a wall surface, which can be unsightly.
This problem can be solved by equipping the recording/reproducing device 114 in the thin type wall-hung TV 110. In the image display apparatus using a CRT with a deeper depth as shown in FIG. 14, the depth of the storage medium 115 (D2 in the figure) is well within the depth (D1) of the entire device 100, but in the thin-type display apparatus such as the wall-hung TV, the depth dimension (D3) of the entire apparatus becomes smaller than the dept (D2) of the storage medium 115, resulting in such a problem that the integration is difficult. Also, even in the case where the depth dimension of the entire apparatus is larger than the depth of the storage medium, a mechanism for writing or reading data with respect to the storage medium is required, and thus the integration is still difficult.
The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional examples, and therefore an object of the present invention is to provide an image display apparatus which is capable of housing a recording/reproducing unit in the apparatus without damaging the characteristics of a thin type image display apparatus such as a wall-hung TV.
Another object of the present invention is to realize a structure for making the handling of the storage medium easy in a case where a structure is adopted such that a storage medium is contained in the image display apparatus, and to improve the degree of freedom in locating a peripheral device.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided an image display apparatus having a flat type image display panel and a casing that supports the image display panel, the image display apparatus comprising:
a recording/reproducing unit that conducts writing or reading with respect to a plate like storage medium; and
a transport structure that supports the storage medium substantially in parallel with a panel face of the image display panel within the casing and projects the storage medium from the casing;
characterized in that the transport structure changes an arrangement direction of the storage medium, such that the arrangement direction of the storage medium supported by the casing and the arrangement direction of the storage medium projected from the casing are different.
In the present invention, since the direction of the storage medium can be changed, the handing of the storage medium at the time of projection, for example, can be facilitated. For example, the direction of the storage medium at the time of projection is set to a direction where a normal of the widest area of the storage medium becomes non-horizontal, thereby being capable of easily handling the storage medium. In particular, in the structure in which the storage medium is projected downward, the direction of the storage medium at the time of projection is set to the direction where the normal of the widest area of the storage medium becomes non-horizontal, thereby being capable of easily handling the storage medium.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the transport structure is of a structure in which a period of time during which the direction of the storage medium gradually changes occurs while the storage medium is shifted from a state where the storage medium is received in the casing to a state where the storage medium is most projected from the casing.
Also, according to the present invention, there is provided an image display apparatus having a flat type image display panel and a casing that supports the image display panel, the image display apparatus comprising:
a recording/reproducing unit that conducts writing or reading with respect to a plate-like storage medium; a transport structure that supports the storage medium substantially in parallel with a panel face of the image display panel within the casing and projects the storage medium from the casing; and
a moving structure for relatively moving a peripheral device attached to the casing with respect to the casing;
characterized in that the moving structure can relatively move the peripheral device positioned at a position where the peripheral device interferes with the storage medium when the storage medium is projected from the casing to a position where the peripheral device does not interfere with the projection of the storage medium.
With the above structure, the degree of freedom of the position to which the peripheral device is attached can be increased.
As the peripheral device, there is a speaker. In addition to the case of a speaker, the present invention is applicable to, for example, a case in which a camera is attached as the peripheral device, and a case where a stand or a wall-hung member for locating the image display apparatus as the peripheral device is attached to the casing. In the case of relatively moving the member for locating the image display apparatus and the casing, a structure may be adopted such that the casing is moved instead of moving the position of the member for locating the image display apparatus.
Also, in the present invention, it is preferable that the moving structure is of the structure in which the peripheral device and the casing can be relatively moved so that they can be apart from each other, or of the structure in which a position for mounting the peripheral device to the casing is movable.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an image display apparatus having a flat type image display panel and a casing that supports the image display panel, the image display apparatus comprising:
a recording/reproducing unit that conducts writing or reading with respect to a plate-like storage medium; and
a transport structure that supports the storage medium substantially in parallel with a panel face of the image display panel within the casing and at a position where the storage medium is not superimposed on the image display panel, and projects the storage medium from the casing.
In particular, in the present invention, it is preferable that the transport structure is such that a holding structure for holding the recording/reproducing unit or the storage medium is drawn toward a front side while changing the direction of the storage medium, to thereby project from the casing. Also, in particular, it is preferable that the recording/reproducing unit and the holding structure are rotated with a rotating shaft which is substantially in parallel with the panel surface as a center and are drawn toward the front side, to thereby project the storage medium (together with the recording/reproducing unit and the holding structure).
In the respective inventions described above, it is preferable that the plate-like storage medium is formed of a disc like storage medium.
Also, in the respective inventions described above, it is preferable that the projection of the storage medium is conducted for the each recording/reproducing unit. Also, in the case of providing a holding structure (for example, a disc tray) which holds the storage medium in the interior of the recording/reproducing unit, the storage medium may be projected for the each holding structure. Further, only the storage medium may be projected.
In the respective inventions described above, when the image display panel has a large screen, in particular, a display screen of 30 inches or more in a diagonal line, more preferably a display screen of 40 inches or more in the diagonal line, the present invention can be preferably applied.
Still further, in the respective inventions described above, a structure where the image display panel is a display panel in which 100 or more electron-emitting devices of are arranged, a structure in which the image display panel is a plasma display panel, and a structure in which the image display panel is a liquid crystal panel can be preferably adopted.
Still further, according to the present invention, there is provided an image display apparatus having a flat type image display panel and a casing that supports the image display panel, the image display apparatus comprising:
a support means for supporting a recording/reproducing unit with a predetermined thickness which houses a storage medium therein and conducts writing or reading with respect to the storage medium in a position where the recording/reproducing unit is substantially in parallel with the panel face of the image display panel in a thickwise direction of the recording/reproducing unit within the casing; and
a control means for controlling the support means so as to project the recording/reproducing unit from the casing and to house the recording/reproducing unit within the casing or integrally with the casing.
Yet still further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method of receiving/extracting a recording/reproducing unit in an image display apparatus. That is, there is provided a method of receiving/extracting a recording/reproducing unit in an image display apparatus having a flat type image display panel, a recording/reproducing unit that receives a storage medium therein and conducts the writing/reading with respect to the storage medium, and a casing that supports the image display panel, characterized in that:
the recording/reproducing unit is supported such that a panel face of the image display panel becomes substantially in parallel with the widest plane of the recording/reproducing unit;
the recording/reproducing unit is externally projected from a lower portion of the casing and then the recording/reproducing unit is inclined when extracting the recording/reproducing unit; and
the recording/reproducing unit is inclined within the casing, and while changing an angle of inclination in accordance with the elevation the recording/reproducing unit is elevated toward the direction of a housing position at the time of housing.
Yet still further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method of receiving/extracting a recording/reproducing unit in an image display apparatus. That is, there is provided a method of receiving/extracting a recording/reproducing unit in an image display apparatus having a flat type image display panel, a recording/reproducing unit that receives a storage medium therein and conducts the writing/reading with respect to the storage medium, and a casing that supports the image display panel, characterized in that:
the recording/reproducing unit is supported such that a panel face of the image display panel becomes substantially in parallel with the widest plane of the recording/reproducing unit;
the recording/reproducing unit is externally projected from a side of the casing when extracting the recording/reproducing unit; and
the recording/reproducing unit is moved toward an opposite direction to a direction at the time of the extracting.